A PERFECT THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Whether it be surfing the Web or dialing a toll-free phone number, California consumers will have plenty of help this holiday season in preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

The California Poultry Federation (CPF) offers a convenient one-stop location on its website — www.cpif.org — for those consumers looking for timely tips on preparing the perfect holiday meal. CPF is the state’s only trade association representing all segments of the poultry industry, including turkey production and marketing companies.

Consumers can find the perfect fresh turkey for roasting, meal preparation tips and tasty recipes on the websites of CPF members:

• Foster Farms – http://www.fosterfarms.com/promotions/savor_the_season/.
• Zacky Farms – www.zacky.com
• Pitman Farms – Mary’s Free Range Turkeys www.marysturkeys.com
• Willie Bird Turkeys – www.williebird.com
• Mrs. Cubbison’s – dressing and recipes www.mrscubbisons.com
• Volk Enterprises – home of the Pop-Up Timer http://www.volkenterprises.com/consumer/

Also listed are the traditional toll-free hotlines for consumer questions and cooking tips:

• Foster Farms The Foster Farms Helpline is available Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST.  Consumers can call 1-800-255-7227 with turkey questions.
• Zacky Farms The Zacky Farms helpline is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PST. Consumers can call 1-800-888-0235.
• USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline For food safety tips and more, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. The hotline is available year round Monday through Friday.

“The CPF website offers us the ability to provide 24-hour-a-day turkey preparation information to consumers,” noted CPF President Bill Mattos. “With time being such a short commodity these days, we hope this site helps consumers access the information they need quickly and efficiently.”

California turkey producers expect to sell approximately 15 million birds this year, with an estimated 40-45% of those sales coming during the holiday season, points out Mattos. “We are definitely seeing an increased demand for California turkeys this year,” said Mattos. Consumers looking for a fresh bird need to keep an eye out for the “fresh” label, advises Mattos, to make sure they are getting a truly fresh bird. “The vast majority of our turkey sales are of fresh product,” explained Mattos. “California consumers have shown a preference for fresh and our advice is that consumers look for the fresh label to make sure they are getting a bird that has been kept at 26 degrees Fahrenheit or above. If the label doesn’t say fresh, it’s probably frozen.”

Mattos cautions consumers that demand will be high this Thanksgiving and they should place their orders early. “You should order your fresh turkey seven to 10 days before Thanksgiving in order to make sure you will get the bird you want,” says Mattos.

Annual per-capita turkey consumption in California is 19 pounds, compared to 16.5 pounds per-capita in the United States. Nationwide, nearly 250 million turkeys are expected to be sold this year. California ranks among the top 7 turkey-producing states.